National
The ongoing Israel-Hamas War has reached a point of relief for some of the hostages taken on both sides, but the current state of the conflict remains ambiguous, according to analysts.
As of Wednesday, hostages have continued to be released and exchanged between Israel and Palestine as part of an ongoing six-day ceasefire. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed Tuesday the release of ten Israeli citizens and two foreign nationals from Gaza, and Israel’s military confirmed the reception of the hostages.
The hostages were among some of the 240 people seized by Hamas during the October 7 incursion into Israel in which 1,200 people were killed. Israel said it released thirty Palestinian hostages from the town of Ofer and a detention center in Jerusalem.
The ceasefire is the first – and so far, only – pause in the conflict since it began almost two months ago. The truce was set to expire Tuesday night but both sides agreed to extend the truce to allow for more hostage exchanges, which have been mediated by the nation of Qatar.
Since the truce started last Friday, eighty-one hostages have been released by Hamas, including sixty Israelis – all women and children – as well as twenty-one foreign nationals. Israel, on the other hand, has freed 150 hostages.
The nation, as well as Long Island, continue to watch the release process as detained Americans, including a native of Nassau County remain under Hamas’ control. Omer Neutra, 22, of Plainview, was taken hostage into Gaza on October 7 after his tank was bombarded by Hamas gunmen. Neutra is a member of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and holds dual Israeli-United States citizenship. His parents spoke at the Empty Shabbat Table display in front of the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge ahead of Thanksgiving before departing for Israel to speak with leaders regarding the hostage situation.
All eyes are now on the expected duration of the ceasefire and if it will coalesce into possible negotiations. Qatar hosted spy chiefs from Mossad – Israel’s Central Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations – and the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to discuss the humanitarian crisis and discuss a potential deal. According to Egyptian media, Israel has claimed that the truce can be extended under the condition that Hamas continues to free at least ten Israeli hostages per day. Discussions in Qatar are reportedly swirling around the persuasion of Hamas to release male hostages.
Israel claimed to have detected the detonation of three explosive devices on Tuesday in the northern Gaza Strip, a violation of the truce deal. Both Palestine and Israel have accused the other of violating the deal, but have reaffirmed their commitment to the ceasefire so long as it’s a mutual commitment.
State
As the crime epidemic and migrant crisis continue to take New York by storm, retailers across the state say that they’re feeling the disorder and rampant crime in a particularly detrimental way.
Instead of dealing with typical shoplifting and store holdups – both of which retailers feel have not been adequately addressed under the Hochul Administration – retailers now face elaborate organized shoplifting rings, essentially a form of organized crime that consists of serial shoplifters swarming stores and/or regularly stealing from a set of locations, making it more difficult for incidents of theft to be controlled and disallowing struggling store owners to come up for air amid the current crime epidemic.
Suggestions to help fix the problem come in the form of amendments to the notorious cashless bail laws that removed judicial discretion in detaining repeat offenders. Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R-Staten Island) has previously called for judges to be returned their discretion to set bail on repeat offenders and detain organized and serial shoplifters.
While retailers claim a $4.4 billion loss due to retail theft last year, Governor Kathy Hochul (D) last week vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have created a fifteen-member task force to combat organized theft. The Retail Council of New York State, an Albany-based lobbying group representing New York retailers, said they were “extremely disappointed” by Hochul’s failure to take up the bill.
As of this summer, retail thefts in New York City have seen a 77% increase over the last five years, despite more police presence in retail areas and prosecutors looking into the problem.
Meanwhile, one of Hochul’s priorities this month was to sign the Health Equity and Opportunity legislative package, which requires free menstrual products to be provided in middle and high schools, requires cosmetologists to receive training in all hair types and patterns, designated March 8 as International Women’s Day, and removes or replaces instances of “gendered” language with gender non-specific terminology in State language. For example, the terms “feminine hygiene products” and “sanitary napkins” have been replaced in favor of “menstrual products and pads.”
Of the bill, Hochul said: “We know now more than ever before the positive impact inclusivity has on communities, and in New York we’re taking the steps to ensure equity for all from healthcare to haircare. From simply updating the way certain products are referred to, to expanding access to vital resources for those who may need them most, as time progresses, so should our laws.”
State Senator Roxanne Persaud (D-Brooklyn), the bill’s sponsor, said: “Outdated terminology perpetuates stigma surrounding menstruation, which ultimately discourages conversations that enable access to basic resources.”
Local
Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), of the Second Congressional District, secured federal funding for Amityville’s police vehicles. Garbarino joined Amityville Mayor Dennis Siry, Amityville Police Chief Bryan Burton, and other Village and law enforcement officials at Amityville Village Hall on Monday to unveil three new police vehicles.
“Our law enforcement officers need proper equipment to combat crime and effectively perform their duties. This is a matter of public safety and to ensure our officers have the tools they need to serve and protect,” said Garbarino. “These vehicles will help the Amityville Police Department modernize its fleet of police vehicles in order to better protect Amityville and the families and businesses that call this community home.”
Amityville was rewarded $210,000 in the Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations bill through a Community Project Funding Request that Garbarino submitted on behalf of the Village.
