Lonny's War Update- October 213, 2023- May 6, 2024
Day 213 of 132 of our hostages in Hamas captivity- **There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**
“I’ve never met them,But I miss them. I’ve never met them,but I think of them every second. I’ve never met them,but they are my family. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”
There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית
Holocaust Memorial Day
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks
*12:00am - north- Two rockets fired from Syria at the Golan Heights struck open areas near the northern community of Ramat Magshimim, the IDF says. No injuries or damage were caused in the attack. The IDF says it is shelling the launch sites with artillery.
*7:00am- north - Israeli fighter jets during the night shot down a drone that was heading toward Israel from “the eastern direction,” the military says. The IDF says the aircraft had been tracked throughout the incident, and there was no threat to civilians.
*9:00am-north- 30 rockets fired at Golan Heights, Upper Galilee - no reports of injuries or damage
*11:30am- north- hostile aircraft intrusion
*12:10pm-north- hostile aircraft intrusion— UAV direct hit explosion in Metulla - 2 people were injured. Hizbollah said it was targeting a military facility.
* in the rocket attack on the Kerem Shalom Crossing yesterday, 4 soldiers were killed and not 3 as originally reported. Sergeant Michael Rozel , 18 from Rishon L’zion. May his memory be a blessing
Hostage Updates
- In the wake of a New York Times article with comments from an anonymous Israeli official alleging that a hostage deal was possible on Saturday until Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a series of statements that caused Hamas to harden its position, the Prime Minister’s Office issues a rebuttal. A statement from Netanyahu’s office calls the idea that the premier sabotaged the deal “a complete lie and a deliberate deception of the public.” “Hamas is the one that sabotages any deal by not moving one millimeter from its extreme demands that no Israeli government could accept,” the statement continues, “first and foremost, that Israel withdraw from Gaza and end the war.” On Saturday, amid signs that a potential deal could be reached, another anonymous Israeli official — widely reported to be Netanyahu — released two statements asserting that there would not be any hostage agreement that entailed an end to the war. —he can deny as much as he wants but everyone knows that the timing and content of both his announcements and those of the ‘anonymous official’ were deliberate and planned to cause disruption to the negotiations in order for Netanyahu to continue of his planned Rafah operation at the cost of the hostages’ lives and again damage to our relations with the US administration. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/pms-office-denies-netanyahus-comments-caused-hamas-to-harden-position-in-hostage-talks-complete-lie/
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid demands an end to “unnecessary statements” by senior officials, arguing that such rhetoric prevents the successful conclusion of a hostage deal. “The announcements, the threats, other unnecessary statements by the ministers of the government and the prime minister regarding the hostages, the political calculations, the media recklessness must stop,” Lapid says. “Are you completely crazy?! The State of Israel does not have a responsible adult to stop the madness.” The former prime minister argues that “briefings by officials and associates” have only served to “thwart the hostage deal and constitute poor management of the negotiations.” “The Israeli government abandoned the hostages and the Israeli government should do everything, but everything, to bring them home,” he insists. Lapid’s statement comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu forcefully rejected a claim made by an Israeli official suggesting that he was responsible for torpedoing the latest round of talks with Hamas in Cairo on a potential hostage and truce deal. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/lapid-end-the-unnecessary-statements-by-officials-serving-to-thwart-the-hostage-deal/
After returning from captivity, Noga Wais from Kibbutz Be'eri enlisted: "Continuing on her path":: Noga Weiss, 18, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be'eri and released in the second wave along with her mother Shiri, enlisted this morning (Monday) in the IDF's logistics non-commissioned officers' course. Noga arrived at the enlistment ceremony more than five months after she was released from captivity - and about four months after it was revealed that her father, Ilan Weiss (56) from Kibbutz Be'eri , was murdered and his body is being held in Gaza. At the enlistment ceremony, Noga said: "After a very turbulent period, I feel that enlisting is the right thing for me. I always wanted to enlist and give of myself for the country, and the army for me is a combination of taking my mind off what happened, a framework and daily routine - and mainly continuing on my path and reality."
Yom Hashoah
Though the tradition of Zikaron Basalon typically consists of small, intimate gatherings in which Israelis listen to survivors give their testimonies in private homes, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum turned out a massive crowd to the outdoor plaza on Sunday night.
“Pain is pain, it doesn’t matter if I experienced it in Poland or now, on October 7,” said Hannah Gofrit, a Holocaust survivor who immigrated to Israel in 1949. Gofrit began her testimony on an upbeat note, telling the crowd that she rejects the “survivor” label and opts instead to call herself a victor.
“I was privileged to immigrate to the State of Israel, to build my life, to revive my life, to set up a home in Israel, and I am the victor,” she said. The 88-year-old nurse began sharing her story with young survivors of October 7 following the Hamas massacre. Organizers played a video on the screen above the panelists, depicting Gofrit with young children evacuated from Kibbutz Mefalsim, one of the communities devastated on October 7, promising them that “there is a life after this.”
Gofrit, who wrote a memoir about her childhood titled “I Wanted to Fly Like a Butterfly,” sang to the crowd the lyrics to a song based on the children’s book, composed by musical artists Eliana Tidhar and Lee Biran. Omri Shtivi, the brother of Idan Shtivi who was kidnapped by Hamas during the Supernova rave massacre, said that the Holocaust survivors on both sides of his family would be proud to see him there now, but were also surely “rolling in their graves at the difficult situation that we are going through.” He described his and his family’s life as a “constant nightmare” ever since Hamas kidnapped his brother into the Gaza Strip, comparing the situation to the stories his grandmother used to tell him about her childhood under the Nazis’ murderous reign.
“She said that one day, [Nazi] soldiers came to their house and tried to kidnap her brother, but her father confronted them and prevented it. But no one was there on October 7 to save Idan,” Shtivi lamented. Although not the focus of the event, panelists spoke in veiled language about the need to strike a deal with Hamas to secure the hostages’ release, with Shtivi asserting that the hostages’ plight was not a political or even humanitarian issue, but a moral one. The elder brother added that “in order to win, we have to give up on the just [military] action in favor of the moral action,” and that a “real leader” must opt to do the moral thing — work to bring the remaining hostages home. Tzipi Ohel, the grandmother of 22-year-old Alon Ohel, who was also kidnapped from the Supernova rave festival, concurred with Shtivi when questioned by Rabbi Benny Lau, who emceed the event, about the words “Never again” written on the screen above the panelists’ heads.“I was born in Berlin, and in 1949, I boarded the ‘Independence’ ship with my family to Israel,” said Ohel, whose parents survived the Holocaust. “All along, my parents would tell me, and now I have told my children, ‘Never again’ — that’s how I raised them.” “For seven months now I’ve been thinking that a miracle would happen, but the miracle didn’t happen,” Ohel continued.Near the end of the event, organizers showed the audience a video put out by the Families Forum, featuring Holocaust survivors in a message to the hostages who remain captive in the Gaza Strip. “It’s on you to keep being people, human beings,” said Batya Rapaport, a survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto, in the video, one of many survivors who gave filmed statements that brought many audience members to tears during the emotional event.
Gaza Fighting
- US Marines official: Nearly half of drones IDF shoots down are its own:: The IDF is shooting down a significant number of its own drones in the course of operations, The War Zone (TWZ) reported Thursday, citing a US Marine Corps official. According to Marine Lt.-Col. Michael Pruden, the IDF destroyed 40% of its own uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). Pruden is head of the Marine Air Command and Control Integration Branch of the Air Combat Element Division within the service's Combat Development and Integration Command (CD&I). "Something interesting that comes from Israel, 40 percent, 40 percent (this figure was repeated for emphasis), of the UASs ... knocked out" by Israel are instances of "friendly fire," he did imply that this data comes from operations in the Gaza Strip in the current war against Hamas. While discussing possible reasons for this number of friendly drones that are knocked down, Pruden said, "As Israel's engaging in Gaza, and they're on their front line, they see a small UAS; what are they going to do if it's not identified immediately? They're going to shoot it down." Pruden said this is the default course of action because the time between when a drone might be detected and when it could execute an attack is usually measured in "seconds." Pruden clarified that the IDF has also previously acknowledged accidental knockdowns of its drones. Since the IDF has one of the world's most advanced integrated air defense systems, if this is an issue for Israel’s military, it will likely be an issue for other militaries worldwide. Israel’s current defense system includes Arrow 3, an exoatmospheric hypersonic anti-ballistic missile, and Arrow 2, an endoatmospheric anti-ballistic missile built by Israel Aerospace Industries. Below them are David's Sling and the Iron Dome, made by Rafael. The laser air defense system, the Iron Beam, will join as another line of defense. In this system, Rafael plays a critical role as the developer of the launcher, while Elbit is the supplier of the laser itself. With the help of a laser beam with a power of about 100 kilowatts, the system is designed to intercept rockets and various drones. However, if the detection system does not improve, this system could also intercept friendly drones. - when I first started reading, I thought “who is this guy and what does he know?” Well, this guy is an expert in the field and he knows a lot. And everything he said makes absolute sense. As this is the first war in the world to have used drones in so many aspects of the warfare (on both sides), it makes total sense that we do not yet have the mechanisms for all of our air defenses and ground troops to be able to identify these UAVs as friendly. Therefore, they have to make split second decisions whether or not to short them down. The extensive use of drones in this war was not part of the original battle plan. Much of the operations and introduction of them were done by individual soldiers who brought them from home and showed their effectiveness in surveillance and reconnaissance which saved many lives. These units were developed in the fly and expanded during the war because of their successes. Obviously, the weaponized UAVs came from within the army and had been used before the war but their use became much broader, again due to their effectiveness and successes. As a result of their quick and partially unplanned use, they haven’t yet come up with the mechanisms for quick identification in the battlefield which brings us to this unbelievably high number of our own shooting them down. I have no doubt that a solution to this is in the works as I write this. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-799885?utm_source=jpost.app.apple&utm_medium=share
- IDF calls on Palestinians to temporarily evacuate east Rafah ahead of planned offensive. Military using flyers, texts, phone calls to tell Gazans to leave specific areas; Gallant to US: Israel has ‘no choice’ - Galant is so very wrong we have many choices and the first is to get our hostages home before anything else. Going into Rafah brings the hostages the biggest danger of being killed both by our bombing and by the Hamas barbarians. We already know definitively that our bombings have killed hostages we don’t know how many. However many hostages are in Rafah will be used by Hamas as human shields as well as bait Hamas has booby trapped much of Rafah and of course, the tunnels that they are hiding in and holding out hostages. The goal of Hamas will be to surround themselves with the hostages, lure in as many soldiers as possible and kill them together with their hostages and themselves. Their messianic, fundamentalist ideology brings them the belief that they will go to paradise if killed in their holy battle against the Jews and the more Jews, particularly soldiers they succeed in killing will guarantee them even better places in paradise. A Rafah military operation will bring heavy losses on both sides. What are our alternatives to going into Rafah? The most important one is the same as what needs to happen with the entire Strip an alternative to Hamas has to be brought in to govern and manage Gaza, be an integral part of its reconstruction, deal with the remnants of Hamas together with partner actions such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, demilitarize the strip and build a better future for the Gazans while building a peace and normalization process with Israel. And the best body to do this successfully is a reformed Palestinian Authority which is partnered and guided by international consortium headed by the US. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-may-6-2024/
- Medics and first responders in Hamas-controlled Gaza claim 16 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in the southern city of Rafah, hours after Hamas rockets killed four Israeli soldiers.
- The major sites around the world are extensively covering this morning (Monday) the statement by an IDF spokesman about the start of evacuating Gazan civilians from Rafah. The report is capturing the top headlines on many sites, and some are reporting that this indicates the prisoner exchange talks are in critical stages. The major news agency Reuters initially quoted the statements in Israel that there are currently thousands of Hamas militants in Rafah, and that victory in the war cannot be achieved without conquering the city. "But the city also contains over a million Palestinian refugees, and the prospect of an operation that could lead to heavy casualties is worrying Western powers and neighboring Egypt," it wrote. In what appears to be the start of evacuating the civilian population ahead of a ground operation - "the Israeli military has called on Palestinians in the eastern parts of Rafah to move to the humanitarian area." It was further reported that the call was made via text messages, phone calls, media statements and dropping leaflets from the air - "aimed at encouraging civilian movement to specific areas." "The announcement complicates last-ditch efforts by international mediators, including the CIA chief, to broker a ceasefire deal," AP reported. "Hamas and Qatar, an important mediator in the talks, warned that an invasion of Rafah could shatter the negotiations." Foreign news sites quoted the statement by IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, who said around 100,000 were instructed to leave for the humanitarian area in Moasi. He was also quoted saying Israel is preparing for an "operation of limited scope," and it was reported that he "did not add whether this meant the start of a broader evacuation of the city." "IDF forces are calling on civilians in areas of Rafah 'to evacuate immediately' to a humanitarian area, saying they will act with 'maximum force' in those areas," the Washington Post reported. "Israel's determination to invade Rafah has remained a sticking point in ceasefire negotiations that currently appear deadlocked after a Hamas delegation walked out of talks in Cairo to consult with leadership in Qatar." --https://www.mako.co.il/news-world/2024_q2/Article-4d0ab699bcc4f81027.htm?sCh=31750a2610f26110&pId=173113802
Egypt raises readiness level in North Sinai; Hamas: "Military operation in Rafah - will not be a picnic for the Israeli army"
Following the start of evacuating the civilian population from Rafah, Egypt is raising its readiness level in North Sinai, according to Egyptian sources. In parallel, Hamas clarifies that "any military operation in Rafah - will not be a picnic for the Israeli army. The resistance, headed by the Al-Qassam Brigades, is fully prepared to defend our people, defeat the enemy, thwart its plans and foil its goals."
- Operation to Allow Return to Negotiations: Behind Approving the Rafah Operation - and Documentation of the Evacuation::
The decision to launch an operation in Rafah, beginning with the evacuation of the population from the eastern part of the city near the border with Israel, was finalized last night (Sunday) in a meeting of the Security Cabinet. It was preceded by two events - Hamas' insistence on ending the war and the deadly barrage from Rafah towards Kerem Shalom in which four soldiers were killed. Despite the continued public threats, mainly from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, last night was effectively the first time in the last four months - since an operation in Rafah was put on the table - that Netanyahu even presented the first stage of the Rafah operation and demanded that the Security Cabinet ministers state their positions on the matter. Ministers raised questions during the discussion, and eventually unanimously decided to approve the first stage. From the moment the population evacuation began this morning, as part of the currently limited operation, a maneuver in "Hamas' last stronghold" could begin within days. However, Israel has not slammed the door on the mediators for a deal - led by the United States. It should be emphasized that this is a limited operation, one that allows Israel to return to the negotiating table at any moment. An Israeli official told Ynet that despite the evacuation beginning, "everything is reversible." He explained: "If Hamas agrees to a deal - the operation can be stopped." Hours after the population evacuation began, Hamas is already issuing threats, saying it is a "dangerous escalation." The terror organization is even threatening "consequences." Meanwhile, documentation arriving from Rafah shows that some residents in the areas designated for evacuation are already making their way northward. According to reports from Gaza, 28 people have been killed in IDF strikes on Rafah since the morning hours. https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/byhs8qizr#autoplay
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah
- During the night, fighter jets of the Air Force struck a military compound of the terrorist organization in the Al-Safiri area. Subsequently, the planes also struck Hezbollah military buildings in the areas of Rammiah, Aita Al-Shaab, and Marwahin. This was in addition to striking terrorist infrastructure of the terrorist organization in the Jabal Balet area in southern Lebanon.
After the barrage on the Upper Galilee: Israeli Air Force fighter jets strike southern Lebanon. The current round of exchanges of fire began after the IDF struck southern Lebanon yesterday, killing 4 civilians. Afterwards, Hezbollah fired around 60 rockets in two barrages towards Kiryat Shmona. Tonight, the Air Force struck in the Baalbek area, and in response around 30 rockets were fired towards southern Golan Heights. Later, the IDF struck around 15 buildings belonging to the Radwan Force in Arbal Louizeh in southern Lebanon. After that, a Hezbollah explosive-laden drone entered Metula and detonated.
West Bank
- "Arab countries show openness to establishing an Arab peacekeeping force in Gaza and the West Bank":: Several Arab countries have shown openness in recent weeks to the possibility of establishing an Arab peacekeeping force in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, as reported by the Financial Times. An Arab diplomat said that in several Arab capitals, they have softened their stance regarding this possibility - which is intended to allow the withdrawal of IDF forces from the area and enable "the Palestinian authorities time to develop their security forces." It is not yet clear which countries would agree to take part in such a force, and it was reported that this is an Egyptian initiative, however Qatar, Jordan and Saudi Arabia oppose deploying their forces in the region. Another source said that Arab countries demand that a decision on an Arab peacekeeping force receive approval from the UN Security Council. - This is very good news but Israel (Netanyahu and his extremist anti Arab government) would not go along with anything like this. They are insistent that the IDF be the security force for Gaza and have no desire to have anyone but the IDF as the security for the West Bank due to all of the settlements there as well as their desire to eliminate the Palestinian Authority, not to strengthen it with the help of other Arab Countries.
Politics
- In first, US delayed an ammunition shipment; Israel: US supplies are continuing. The United States reportedly stopped the delivery of a shipment of US-made ammunition to Israel last week, according to Axios, although Israel says that deliveries are continuing as normal. Citing two unnamed Israeli officials, Axios reports that the decision to place the ammunition shipment on hold left Israeli government officials concerned, as it is the first time since October 7 that the US has prevented a weapons shipment from reaching Israel. A White House National Security spokesperson declines to confirm the report, saying they don’t comment on individual cases. However, the spokesperson notes that the US “has surged billions of dollars in security assistance to Israel since the October 7 attacks, passed the largest ever supplemental appropriation for emergency assistance to Israel, led an unprecedented coalition to defend Israel against Iranian attacks and will continue to do what is necessary to ensure Israel can defend itself from the threats it faces.” Speaking to Ynet, an Israeli official downplays the Axios report, saying “Even now, a continued series of defense shipments are being sent from the US to Israel.” “It’s possible that one shipment or another is delayed, but the flow continues and we’re not aware of a policy decision to stop it,” the official adds. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/report-in-first-us-delayed-an-ammunition-shipment-israel-us-supplies-are-continuing/
A protester demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation disrupted Monday morning’s Holocaust Remembrance Day wreath-laying ceremony at Yad Vashem. Video from the event at Israel’s national Holocaust museum and memorial in Jerusalem showed a man identified by Ynet news as Ami Schechter yelling at the prime minister to resign. “We must not descend into the abyss again. What else is necessary for you to go home?” he called out. “Let the people of Israel remember their abandoned sons,” he added, in reference to the hostages held in Gaza since October 7. “I had no hesitation. What is very clear is that he failed in a very serious way to protect the people of Israel,” Ynet quoted Schechter as explaining. An overwhelming majority of Israelis believe that Netanyahu must take responsibility for the staggering failures that led to Hamas’s devastating onslaught on October 7, when the terror group’s forces surged across the border, killing some 1,200 people, the majority of them civilians, and taking 252 hostage. Sixty-two percent of Israelis — both Jewish and Arab — believe it is time for those responsible for the failures of October 7 to resign from their positions, according to an Israel Democracy Institute poll conducted last month.While Netanyahu has faced months of protests over the government’s continued inability to bring home the remaining hostages from Gaza, during the opening ceremony at Yad Vashem on Sunday night the premier declared that he was “determined to release them all – all of them – from this dark inferno, those who are still alive and the dead.” “We are obligated to bring them home, to their families, and end this ongoing nightmare. Our hearts are with them,” he said. The previous evening, the families of hostages held in Gaza rallied in Tel Aviv to demand a deal, highlighting the plight of captives related to Holocaust survivors ahead of Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the organizers of the rally, said the demonstration would be held under the banner “Never again is now,” ahead of the memorial day for the Holocaust. “In the aftermath of October 7, the phrase ‘Never Again’ has taken on an additional, relevant and pressing meaning,” organizers said. https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-heckled-at-yad-vashem-wreath-laying-ceremony/
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