πŸŽ—️Lonny's War Update- October 230, 2023 - May 23, 2024 (cont)πŸŽ—️

   

πŸŽ—️Day 230 (cont) that 128 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!
‎ΧΧ™ΧŸ Χ Χ¦Χ—Χ•ΧŸ Χ’Χ“ Χ©Χ›Χœ Χ”Χ—Χ˜Χ•Χ€Χ™Χ Χ‘Χ‘Χ™Χͺ

Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements

The situation in the north is getting worse by the day. I can't remember a day with so many red alerts of rockets, anti tank shelling and UAVs. Netanyahu claims to have a plan for the north which he says he won't divulge publicly which means to Hizbollah. My question - has he divulged his plan to the IDF or is just more garbage coming out of his mouth and he has no real plan?

*4:35pm- North - hostile aircraft intrusion Galilee and Kiryat Shemona
*6:30pm - Non stop sirens in the last 10 minutes in northern Israel following concerns of multiple aircraft intrusions from Lebanon - 60 rockets launched - Hizbollah claims that these barrages were in retaliation for the killing of a senior Hizbollah terrorist
     • 6:34pm - Ghajjar, Defnah, HaGosherim, Sheniar, Kibbutz Dan, Shaar Yashuv 
    • 6:35pm Confrontation Line: Beit Hillel, Kfar Giladi, Kfar Yuval, Metula, Manara, Maayan Baruch, Margaliot, Misgav Am, Kiryat Shmona, Tel Hai 
    • 6:36pm Confrontation Line: Beit Hillel, Kfar Giladi, Kfar Yuval, Metula, Manara, Maayan Baruch, Margaliot, Misgav Am, Kiryat Shmona, Tel Hai, Defnah, HaGosherim, Ghajjar, Kibbutz Dan, Shaar Yashuv, Sheniar, Neot Mordechai, Sde Nehemia, Shemir, Kfar Blum, Amir, Kfar Szold, Lahavot HaBashan, GΓ³nen 
    • 6:37pm Confrontation Line: GΓ³nen, Dishon, Yiftach, Kfar Blum, Kfar Szold, Lahavot HaBashan, Malkhiya, Mevo'ot HaHermon Regional Center, Neot Mordechai, Amir, Ramot Naftali, Sde Nehemia, Shemir 
    • 6:38pm Confrontation Line: Beit Hillel, Kfar Giladi, Kfar Yuval, Metula, Manara, Maayan Baruch, Margaliot, Misgav Am, Kiryat Shmona, Tel Hai, Defnah, HaGosherim, Ghajjar, Kibbutz Dan, Shaar Yashuv, Sheniar 
    • 6:42pm Confrontation Line: Beit Hillel, Kfar Giladi, Kfar Yuval, Metula, Manara, Maayan Baruch, Margaliot, Misgav Am, Kiryat Shmona, Tel Hai, Defnah, HaGosherim, Ghajjar, Kibbutz Dan, Shaar Yashuv, Sheniar 
    • 6:43pm Confrontation Line: Defnah, HaGosherim, Ghajjar, Kibbutz Dan, Shaar Yashuv, Sheniar
            
        A direct hit by an anti-tank missile at a house in Moshav Shtula in the Western Galilee.         This is a second hit in the same building

*7:15pm- North - The Barrage on the North: Fighter Jet Intercepts One UAV, The Other Fell in Kiryat Shmona Area. A series of sirens in the Galilee Panhandle: A fighter jet intercepted one UAV, the other fell in the Kiryat Shmona area. So far, no injuries or damage have been reported.  Fires continue to rage throughout the Upper Galilee after the massive barrage that was fired into the area in the wee hours
*7:45- North - A direct hit by an anti-tank missile at a house in Moshav Shtula in the Western Galilee. This is a second hit in the same building
*8:45pm - south- People in Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat report seeing an interceptor missile launch in the area. No sirens sounded.
*9:05pm- south - rockets Brosh, Tidhar, Taashur, Bitha, Netivot, Ofakim, Gaza border areas
*9:05pm- South - Residents of Eilat report explosions and interceptions in the area of ​​the city. No alarm sounded.  Air Force fighter jets successfully intercepted two suspicious aerial targets that made their way from the eastern region towards Eilat. This was stated by the IDF spokesperson, who pointed out that the targets did not cross into the territory of the country and no warnings were activated "according to policy".
*9:55pm- north - Two anti-tank missiles were fired a short time ago at Metulla . No casualties are known. 30% of the homes in Metulla have already been destroyed or massively damaged by rockets and anti tank shells since October 7.
*11:40pm- north - rockets Baram, Dovev, Sasa, Tzvion, Upper Galilee

Hostage Updates 

  • "They Didn't Prepare Us for This Moment": The Pit Discovered Inside a House - and the Retrieval of the Bodies of the Four Abducted Captives: The soldiers who participated in the operation to retrieve the bodies of the abducted Sami Lok, Amit Buskila, Ron Binyamin and Yitzhak Galanter z"l recount the events • "We discovered the pit, parallel to the fighting in the area," explained Lt. Col. Almog Rothem, who took part in the three-day battles • "We needed to maintain the highest level of composure in order to protect the fighters," added Maj. A. • A report from the house in Jabaliya where the pit leading to the captives was found

    The operation to retrieve the bodies of the four abducted captives - Shani Louk, Amit Buskila, Ron Binyamin and Yitzhak Galarenter - from the tunnel in Jabaliya was complex and lasted more than 3 days. Now, the combatants who participated in the battles are reenacting the events that led to the discovery of the bodies - how they identified the tunnel pit in a residential home in Rafah, and the actions taken to retrieve the bodies of the abducted Israelis.

    On the night between Thursday and Friday last week, during the battles in the area, the forces entered one of the houses. They encountered explosives and neutralized them. In one of the rooms, the fighters lifted a carpet and found a pit about 10 meters deep. Meanwhile, the battles outside and around the house continued.

    "The pit was covered with carpets and equipment, presumably a family lived here," explained Lt. Col. Almog Rothem, commander of the 202nd Brigade. "The force showed great professionalism and drive to engage, with a deep understanding that no house is routine, especially in such a combat zone." According to him, the forces understood "that there was something in the house they were protecting."

    "With great resourcefulness and responsibility, the force began to move things around," Lt. Col. Rothem added. "They reported that there was a pit inside the house. We made contact with Yahalom unit forces to continue the mission. This happened in parallel to the intense fighting that took place here in the area."

    After securing the house, Yahalom unit fighters entered the underground passage. "We entered into combat underground," described Maj. A. from the Yahalom unit who participated in the retrieval operation. "After a few hours of the operation, we identified two suspicious points. We started digging, identifying, and retrieving. At a moment like this, you need to maintain the highest level of composure to carry out such a mission properly and protect the fighters."

    At the end of the night operation, the bodies of Sami Lok, Amit Buskila, Ron Binyamin and Yitzhak Galanter z"l, who were murdered on October 7th, were returned to the State of Israel. "After completing the mission, I was told that these were the bodies of the abducted captives. Nothing is more moving than that," Maj. A. recounted. "Nothing can prepare you for that moment. It's an immense privilege. It's still undigestible."

    The Jabaliya Operation

    Fighters from the 98th Division entered Jabaliya a week and a half ago. In recent days, they have intensified the fighting in the city and raided additional terror targets in the area. The combat in the refugee camp is complex and taking place in a densely populated urban area. The forces are scanning and moving from house to house, engaging in combat in the narrow alleys of the city. Since the beginning of the operation in Jabaliya, eight fighters have fallen, seven of them from the Paratroopers Brigade.

    "I didn't believe something like this would happen to us," recounted Maj. Matan, a company commander in the 202nd Battalion, about the retrieval of the bodies. "But like many events here, you don't believe it's happening to you. We're already used to such extreme events; the fighters are lions." Lt. Col. Rothem also addressed the experience of the forces: "After eight months, the fighters and commanders have unprecedented operational experience. The operational intelligence they bring to the field is particularly formidable."

    Despite the attrition and difficulties, the forces remember the magnitude of responsibility and importance of the mission entrusted to them. Maj. Matan recounted: "We reached a point where we've been in this fighting for a long time. We all entered with enthusiasm, but that enthusiasm is gone, and like anything you do for a long time, it's not easy. But we understand why we're here and will continue to do so as long as there are captives here and as long as Hamas is on its feet."

    The assessment is that the operation in Jabaliya will be completed in the coming days, after which the 98th Division fighters will proceed to the next targets.  link

  • After release of hostage video, war cabinet okays resumption of stalled truce talks: The war cabinet approved the resumption of indirect talks with Hamas for the release of hostages early Thursday, with a source telling Hebrew media that the negotiating team was handed new guidelines to try and make an elusive breakthrough. The source, who was briefed on the details of the high-level meeting, didn’t give any details on the guidelines, while a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said only that the war cabinet ordered the negotiating team “to continue negotiations for the return of the hostages.”

    On October 7, thousands of Hamas-led terrorists burst across the border into Israel, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 252 hostages. About half of them remain captive in Gaza.  At the meeting, IDF Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon, who is one of the negotiators, presented an updated plan after a previous proposal was shot down on Saturday night by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Kan public broadcaster reported. A source told Kan that the team did not get everything it asked for “but at least progress can be made.”

    One of the points in the new proposal was a compromise on an issue of contention with Hamas, but came with a stiffening of the Israeli position on other matters that the two sides did not agree on, the report said without offering further details.  Talks have revolved around the format of a staged hostage release in return for a temporary truce and the release of at least several hundred Palestinian security prisoners held by Israel.

    The largest stumbling block has been Hamas’s insistence on Israel ending the war.  The three-member war cabinet, formed after October 7, comprises Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Minister Benny Gantz. Several others participate in the meetings as observers.

    Ahead of the meeting, the Hostage Families Forum issued an urgent request to meet with the members of the war cabinet to discuss efforts to revive the hostage talks. Gallant, Gantz, and observers Aryeh Deri and Gadi Eisenkot all agreed to the hostage families’ request for a meeting. Only Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer refused, Hebrew media reported.

    The request came after the families of hostages released harrowing footage showing the abduction of five female soldiers from the Nahal Oz base by Hamas terrorists on October 7, with some of the parents saying their goal in releasing the video was to wake up the country, and especially the leadership, to work more urgently to secure their release.  As the war cabinet convened inside the IDF’s Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, several hundred people demonstrated outside calling on the government to agree to a hostage deal with Hamas. There was a similar demonstration in Jerusalem. In Tel Aviv, protesters lit bonfires in the street, blocking traffic in both directions. Some participants dressed as bound and bloodied female soldiers, a reference to concerns that the captives are being sexually assaulted while in captivity. During the Hamas assault on the country, terrorists committed widespread atrocities including gang rape.

    Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is a hostage, said “This evening is a hostage night” after the release of the video showing the soldiers whom, she charged, have been abandoned by the state. “Let’s bring them home,” she said, adding that while “the government gave up, the people will bring [the hostages] back.” The Jerusalem protest took place outside the Prime Minister’s Office in the capital.

    Pressure has intensified on the government to reach a deal with Hamas to free the remaining hostages, with regular protests drawing tens of thousands of people to the streets demanding their rescue. In Tel Aviv, protesters lit bonfires in the street, blocking traffic in both directions. Some participants dressed as bound and bloodied female soldiers, a reference to concerns that the captives are being sexually assaulted while in captivity. During the Hamas assault on the country, terrorists committed widespread atrocities including gang rape.

     According to the Egyptian source, an Israeli working delegation has visited Cairo on a weekly basis to discuss security coordination and attempt to get past an impasse over Israel’s control of the Gazan side of the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt, which has led to increasingly vocal mutual recriminations.

    The source said discussions had lately also centered around the role of Egyptian mediation.

    The Rafah Crossing is a key conduit for humanitarian aid into Gaza, but Egypt has refused to cooperate with Israeli authorities on deliveries since the Israeli army recently captured the gateway as part of its operation in the adjoining city of Rafah, a last Hamas stronghold.

    Egypt threatened to pull out of its mediator role in a statement on Wednesday, alluding to anger over claims by the US and Israel that Cairo had secretly changed the terms of a potential deal Jerusalem had agreed to, scuttling the chances for a deal.

    The source claimed to al-Jadeed al-Araby that leaks to the media regarding Egypt’s reported subterfuge aided attempts by Netanyahu’s government to “evade responsibility” for the fact that the sides have been unable to reach an agreement.

    One hundred and twenty-eight hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released prior to that. Three hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 16 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military.

    The IDF has confirmed the deaths of 37 of those still held by Hamas, citing intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza. One more person has been listed as missing since October 7, and their fate is still unknown.

    Hamas is also holding the bodies of fallen IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin since 2014, as well as two Israeli civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who are both thought to be alive after entering the Strip of their own accord in 2014 and 2015 respectively.  link

Gaza 

  • The fighters of the 98th Division's combat teams and special forces from the Air Force and the Yahalam unit eliminated in an underground space the terrorist Hasin Piach, the commander of the Beit Hanon battalion of the murderous terrorist organization. Piach was responsible for many anti-tank missiles that were launched into the territory of the State of Israel during the war , as well as for launching many rockets towards the settlements in the north of the Gaza Envelope communities.

  • Far-right activists loot another truck in West Bank; unclear whether it was actually carrying aid to Gaza:  For the second time in hours, extremist Israelis in the West Bank have blocked and looted a truck being driven by a Palestinian driver who they thought was delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza.  The latest incident takes place near the illegal Givat Asaf outpost. It is not immediately clear whether the truck was actually carrying aid for Gaza, and activists have on several occasions targeted trucks that were simply carrying commercial goods, assaulting the drivers in the process. As with earlier today, there are no reports of arrests, as attacks by violent settlers are rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities, leading the US and other Western countries to begin issuing sanctions against the extremists earlier this year.  link

Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah

  • Fighter jets attacked a series of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. Among the targets attacked: military buildings of the terrorist organization in the areas of Eyta al-Sha'ab Rav al-Talatin and Merkaba, a military building and two observation posts of the organization in the al-Adaisa area in southern Lebanon.

  • Non stop shelling from Hizbollah all over the northern border areas and beyond and there doesn't seem to be any plan in place to deal with it.

West Bank

  •     


Politics and the Region

  • Benny Gantz, Chairman of the National Unity party and Minister: "Nearly 8 months have passed since the greatest disaster in the country's history. We all saw the difficult video from the abduction in Nahal Oz, we all see the public debate regarding the warning that was or was not given to the Prime Minister. There is no doubt - the period and events leading up to 7.10, and the continuation of the campaign since then, are a national trauma from which lessons must be learned. At this time, it is no longer enough for us to take responsibility for what happened - we must take responsibility and act, so that this never happens again. The only way to do this is through a state commission of inquiry that must be established immediately. I intend to submit a motion to establish it soon, so that the commission can organize itself to begin work on an agreed upon date. This is the right step for the continued functioning of the state, and it will also assist us with the international legal challenges we face."  link -- we have yet to hear Netanyahu's reaction, response and attack of the idea. He doesn't want a state commission of inquiry and has stated that many times. He thinks he can still get away with a Knesset Commission that the government will control and there will be no legal ramifications. This isn't going to happen and there will be an official state commission that will investigate and reach conclusions that Netanyahu doesn't want to hear. He will for sure that there is no room to initiate any commission of inquiry while the war is still going on.

  • A missile attack targeted a Greek-owned cargo vessel off Yemen a short while ago without causing any casualties or damage, according to maritime security agencies. There is no immediate claim of responsibility, but Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have waged a campaign of attacks against Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November in a show of support for Palestinians amid the ongoing war in Gaza. The Joint Maritime Information Centre, which is run by a Western-led naval task force in the region, identifies the vessel targeted in the latest attack as the Maltese-flagged bulk carrier Yannis.
    Global tracking service MarineTraffic says the ship was en route from Russia to Kenya and identifies its owner and operator as Greek shipping firm Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Limited. Maritime security firm Ambrey says the vessel was likely targeted “due to its listed operator’s ongoing trade with Israel” and that the attempted attack on the Yannis occurred 68 nautical miles off the rebel-controlled Yemeni port city of Hodeida. “The vessel had undergone what she described as a ‘missile attack’ at the location,” it says, adding that “no injuries or damage were reported.” The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, run by the Royal Navy, reports “a missile impacting the water in close proximity” to the ship, adding that the “vessel and all crew are safe and proceeding to next port of call.” The rebel attacks on shipping along the vital trade route have prompted countermeasures by a Western-led naval task force and reprisal strikes on Houthi targets by British and US warplanes.  link


Acronyms and Glossary

COGAT - Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories

ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague

IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague

UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission

PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen

PMO- Prime Minister's Office
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