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The President's Daily Brief
October 13th, 2025: Israeli Hostages Released & Hamas Launches ‘Mafia-Like’ Crackdown In Gaza
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President Trump will be on the ground in the Middle east today, meeting with regional leaders and guarantors in Egypt as the seats far as fragile future hangs in the balance. We'll have the details later in the show. With the hostage release process underway, Hamas is turning its guns inward. The group has launched a sweeping crackdown inside Gaza, targeting rival clans and suspected collaborators to shore up its authority. Plus renewed economic warfare between Washington and Beijing after the US Slapped on fresh tariffs and export bans over China's tightening of rare earth mineral exports. And in today's Back of the Brief, the War Department announces a new counternarcotics task force under a directive from President Trump. The mission take the fight to the cartels in the Caribbean. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. After two years in captivity, 737 days to be exact, the hostage release process began around 8am local time in Gaza with the first seven of the remaining 20 living hostages handed over to the Red cross. The remaining 13 were released in a second handover in Khan Yunis around 10am local time. The hostages were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross before being escorted over the border into Israel. Once safely inside Israeli territory, the hostages were reunited with their families before being transferred to three different hospitals for medical care. Doctors say all of them are receiving treatment, physical and psychological, after what officials describe as unimaginable conditions in captivity. Their release is part of the first phase of the new ceasefire plan. A massive prisoner exchange will also see roughly 2,000 Palestinians freed from Israeli custody. That includes about 250 inmates currently serving life sentences, as well as more than 1700 detainees arrested after the October 7 attacks. Meanwhile, President Trump landed in Israel earlier this morning. He's scheduled to address members of the Knesset and meet with families of the hostages before traveling to Egypt for a high level peace summit in Sharm el Sheikh. The president's delegation includes several of his top national security officials, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Together, they'll join regional leaders to sign a document guaranteeing the ceasefire alongside Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, all of whom will serve as guarantors. The summit itself is expected to draw a wide range of international figures, leaders from the uk France, Germany, Italy and Indonesia, along with the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, President Trump expressed optimism about the agreement. He said he's confident the ceasefire will hold, telling reporters that people on both sides are simply tired of the war. He added that he's received what he called verbal guarantees from both Israel and Hamas, along with key regional players regarding this first phase of the truce, the hostage release and the steps that will follow. But not everyone is ready to declare peace. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu praised the return of the hostages as the beginning of a new path. But he also cautioned that very big security challenges remain and that Israel's military campaign is not yet over. One of the major components of this initial phase is the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The UN says it's already distributed hundreds of thousands of hot meals and bread bundles to civilians in both the north and south of the strip, what it hopes is just the beginning of sustained humanitarian efforts. Meanwhile, Egypt's state affiliated media reports that dozens of aid trucks are lined up on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, waiting for the signal to move in. It's a fragile moment of hope after two years of war, and one that could still unravel quickly depending on the next actions of Hamas. But for hostage families in Israel, Today, the long nightmare of captivity has finally come to an end. So what comes next? Well, apparently for Hamas, what comes next, or actually now, is an attempt to consolidate their power in Gaza in a mafia style crackdown on its own people. That's already underway. We'll have the details. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Good values, right? A strong foundation, legacy. Well, you know, those things don't just happen by accident. 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Welcome back to the PDB. Well, it didn't take Long. Just days after Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal, the group has launched a deadly campaign to reestablish control over Gaza and to settle scores. The message is clear. Hamas doesn't intend to give up power. According to new reports, roughly 7,000 Hamas fighters have been recalled to active duty inside the Strip. They've been ordered to move into neighborhoods vacated by Israeli troops and reassert the group's authority. It's part of a coordinated effort to remind every Gazan about who's in charge and to eliminate anyone who dares to challenge the Iranian backed terror group. The BBC reports that Hamas has also installed five new governors across Gaza, all with military backgrounds. Some previously commanded brigades within the group's armed wing, the Al Qassam Brigades. It's a sign that the group's civilian leadership is now taking a back seat to its military commanders, the men who run Hamas like a military, not a government. But this isn't just about re establishing order in the Strip. It's about revenge for the terror group. Multiple reports say Hamas has begun abducting members of powerful Gaza clans, families that wield local influence and in some cases have challenged Hamas's rule over the past two years. Those abductions appear to have triggered violent protests. In at least one incident, Hamas gunmen opened fire on Palestinian demonstrators. Eyewitnesses describe scenes of armed fighters firing into crowds, masked men dragging rival clan members into vehicles, and families pleading for information on missing relatives. Analysts say Hamas is now targeting anyone it suspects of cooperating with Israel or simply not toeing the line. Others describe it as a preemptive purge meant to crush dissent before it spreads. One Gaza based source told the BBC that, quote, anyone with a weapon or following is now a potential target. What's happening here is the re emergence of a familiar pattern. Every time Hamas feels its grip is slipping, it turns inward, eliminating rivals, intimidating critics and consolidating power through fear. It's a page pulled straight from the playbook of organized crime syndicates and authoritarian regimes alike. When in doubt, purge. But this time, the stakes are even higher for Hamas. As we've covered here on the PDB for months now, Hamas has faced growing unrest among Gaza's powerful clans, the extended families that control much of local life and wield influence over trade, aid, distribution and territory. These clans are more than social groups. They are parallel power structures, and Hamas knows it. By abducting clan leaders and attacking protesters, the group is sending a there will be no power sharing, no negotiation, and no tolerance for internal opposition. It's the same message that Hamas delivered back in 2007 when it seized control of Gaza by force, throwing rival fatah members off of rooftops and executing opponents in public squares. Only this time, Gaza isn't the same place. After two years of war, vast parts of the territory are in ruins. Israeli troops have withdrawn from several sectors, creating a power vacuum that's now being filled not just by hamas, but by armed local groups, black market gangs, and clan militias. Hamas's response to that fragmentation has been swift and brutal. Fighters have reoccupied former Israeli positions, set up new checkpoints, and deployed informants to identify suspected collaborators. Reports suggest that internal security officers are now operating in plain clothes, blending into civilian areas to monitor for dissent. At the same time, the crackdown risks igniting a broader internal conflict. Some clans have begun arming themselves, preparing to defend their neighborhoods. In khan yunis, witnesses say gunfire erupted between hamas forces and local fighters loyal to a local clan after a series of arrests. It's a reminder that even within Gaza, Hamas authority isn't necessarily absolute. For ordinary Gazans, this cleansing campaign means more fear and fewer options. Families are caught between rival factions. A knock at the door could mean a visit from a clan militia or from hamas internal security wing. It also complicates any hope for outside stabilization efforts. For the ceasefire to hold, Gaza needs some form of civil order. Instead, it could be carved into territories controlled by competing power centers, each with its own guns, grievances, and goals. And that brings us to the broader question. What does hamas actually want? Well, publicly, the group says this mobilization is about restoring law and order. Oh, protecting gaza from traitors and criminals. But privately. Well, privately, it's about survival. Hamas understands that once the guns fall silent, its greatest threat won't come from Israel. It'll come from within. Every militia, every clan, every armed rival represents an alternative to their authority. And in a territory where legitimacy is measured by who can enforce it, Hamas is determined to make sure no one else gets that chance. So while the outside world is currently focused on the ceasefire deal, humanitarian aid, and the return of the hostages, Hamas is waging a new war. One not aimed at israel, but at its own people. Okay, shifting gears. Beijing's clampdown on rare earth minerals has opened a new front in the u. S. China trade war, with president trump launching a trade counteroffensive aimed at breaking the CCP's grip on global supply chains. At the center of this new front, control over rare earth minerals, the strategic elements that power everything from electric vehicles to semiconductors and advanced weapons systems. It's an arena where Beijing holds near total dominance. In a statement Sunday, China's Ministry of Commerce defended its new export curbs as part of an effort to, quote, strengthen its export control system and, quote, safeguard world peace and regional stability. What? Amid what it called, quote, a turbulent global security environment, A ministry spokesman insisted the measures, quote, do not constitute export bans, adding that applications that meet the requirements will be approved. He emphasized that Beijing had fully assessed the potential impact on the supply chains and was, quote, confident that the impact will be very limited. But the scope of these restrictions tells another story. The new controls extend beyond raw rare earths to cover intellectual property and production technologies, including extraction, refining or any process underpinning China's industrial edge. Foreign firms under these measures must now obtain licenses to export goods containing more than 0.1% China sourced rare earths or any item produced using Chinese refining or recycling technology. And as for products with possible military applications, well, they'll be denied outright. Signaling Beijing's intent to choke off materials that could strengthen foreign weapons programs. The European Chamber of Commerce in China warned that the curbs were already clogging export pipelines, creating a backlog of license requests and adding further complexity to the global supply chains of rare earth elements. Washington's counterpunch came fast. Within 24 hours, the White House announced a 100% tariff on all Chinese imports, stating over and above any tariff they are currently paying, effective 1 November. The White House also unveiled new export controls targeting, quote, any and all critical software used in industrial and defense sectors. The Commander in Chief posted on Truth Social, quote, there is no way that China should be allowed to hold the world captive with its rare earths policy, accusing Beijing of weaponizing the minerals to extort global markets. The White House said the measures were designed to protect, quote, America's technological edge and fortify supply chains for advanced manufacturing. Beijing was quick. In a response of its own, the Commerce Ministry accused Washington of, quote, double standards, noting that the US control list covers more than 3,000 items, triple the number targeted by China. Ministry officials described their own measures as, quote, necessary passive defensive actions, whatever that means, but warned that Trump's escalations had, quote, seriously undermined the atmosphere of trade talks. And Beijing didn't stop there. Just hours later, the country revealed plans to impose port fees on American vessels docked in Chinese ports beginning 14 October. That's mirroring a US policy taking effect the same day. The Ministry described the move as, quote, a justified response to unlawful and discriminatory tariffs. The renewed economic standoff threatens to unravel of course, months of fragile diplomacy as we've been tracking here on the pdb. Senior US And Chinese negotiators met in Geneva in May, followed by rounds in London, Stockholm, and Madrid that yielded what both sides cautiously described as framework consensus on trade. But with China's latest restrictions now in place, Trump warns he may cancel his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, scheduled for the final week of October that was meant to ease trade tensions and negotiate a path towards renewed stability. Okay, coming up in the back of the brief, the War Department in the US Rolls out a new task force in the Caribbean, part of President Trump's plan to hun hunt down the region's biggest cartels. More on that when we come back. 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In today's Back of the Brief, Secretary of War or Secretary of Defense, whatever the title might be, Pete Hegseth announced a new escalation in America's war on the cartels, unveiling a counternarcotics joint task force in the Caribbean aimed at trafficking networks poisoning the Western Hemisphere. Under direct orders from President Trump. The task force, which launched Friday, will operate within the U.S. southern Command's area of responsibility and will be led by the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force. Its mission? To hunt down and dismantle cartel operations at sea before the drugs ever reach American shores. Officials from the Department of War and southcom describe the initiative as a renewed commitment to restoring order in a region long exploited by transnational narco terrorists. Hegseth said the mission's objective is clear and uncompromising. Quote crush the cartels, stop the poison and keep America safe. The message is clear. If you traffic drugs toward our shores, we will stop you cold. End quote Admiral Alvin Halsey, commander of southcom, called the new task force, quote, a decisive step toward regional stability. He said that by forming the joint task force around second MEF headquarters, quote we enhance our ability to detect, disrupt and dismantle, elicit trafficking networks faster in a greater depth. The task force will reportedly integrate intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets to map maritime trafficking routes and intercept narcotics before they reach the US or allied territory. Its aim will expand real time intelligence sharing, conduct joint training with regional partners, and deploy advisory teams to strengthen local counter narcotics forces with a fusion of American military and law enforcement. The move comes amid escalating U.S. maritime operations in the Caribbean targeting cartel linked vessels, including several suspected to originate from Venezuela. As we've discussed, four small boats reported to be carrying narcotics were destroyed in the series of military strikes resulting in 21 deaths in operations the Trump administration says served as precursors to this latest campaign now underway. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief from Monday 13th October. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the firsttv.com and I hope you had an opportunity over the weekend to catch the latest episode of our extended weekend show, the PDB Situation Report. If not, well, it's simple. Just head on over to our YouTube channel at presidents Daily Brief where you can find it and past episodes. I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.