🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 234, 2023 - May 27, 2024 🎗️

  

🎗️Day 234 that 125 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

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

*9:45am- West Bank- attempted terror attack - shooting at the military checkpoint by Homesh. No injuries reported. no other information available

*12:45pm- North - hostile aircraft intrusion - Kibbutzim Misgav Am, Margaliot, Dan, Kfar Giladi, Kiryat Shemona, Tel Hai, Maayan Baruch, Upper Galilee

Hostage Updates 

• Those we are missing-The hostages and victims taken on October 7, 2023, whose fate is still unknown  - these are the pictures and the storied behind the faces on the posters  link 
• My brother’s post: Despite the attempts to renew negotiations with Hamas, I once again assess that Hamas will not agree to any deal that does not end the war and that Netanyahu will not agree to any deal that does end the war. If this is the case, only a strong shock such as the resignation of the heads of the Israeli negotiating team can cause the masses to take to the streets.  There is nothing more important for the future of Israel than the return of all the hostages. Gershon Baskin. 5/27/2024

• Netanyahu's statements and the criticism: "Sabotaging a deal before it ripens"

After the Prime Minister attacked the negotiating team, claiming that "briefings from him" are hardening Hamas' stance and declaring again that he will not agree to end the war, a senior official accused him of trying to miss opportunities: "It's clear that he will be in the minority if a formulated deal reaches the cabinet." In the background: The effort to resume negotiations, and reports of talks in Cairo as early as Tuesday.

**Hamas insists on ending the war, Netanyahu publicly declares his opposition to this condition – and a senior official accuses him of trying to sabotage a deal before it has ripened.** 

In the shadow of the renewed attempt to revive negotiations with Hamas, the Prime Minister's Office spoke of a possible discussion based on new proposals led by the mediators, but officials involved in the details say that the only proposal on the table is the known one: a comprehensive deal for the return of all the hostages.

Senior officials also accused Netanyahu last night that while the Security Cabinet can initially discuss the first stage of a deal, Netanyahu is acting to prevent even that with his conduct. "Netanyahu is not bluntly sabotaging the deal, but is doing so before it even matures. So every opportunity is actually missed. It's clear that if a formulated deal reaches the Security Cabinet, he will be in the minority," said one senior official.  

Among the families and other officials, there are those who claim that statements from Netanyahu's office were actually intended to reassure the families, but there is nothing real behind them, and as long as Netanyahu does not agree to discuss Hamas' precondition - there is no deal that can be implemented, and therefore the story is stuck.

Last night, it was reported on News 12 that Reserve Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon, who is responsible for the intelligence effort to return the captives and a member of the negotiating team, spoke out against the composition of the government and said that with this composition, a deal cannot be reached. On behalf of Alon, the comments were vehemently denied, and it was claimed that Nitzan did not say those words.  

However, Netanyahu's office responded harshly and attacked the negotiating team itself: "While Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly given the negotiating team a broad mandate to secure the release of our captives, Hamas continues to demand an end to the war, the withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip, and leaving Hamas intact so that it can carry out the atrocities of October 7 again and again. Prime Minister Netanyahu strongly opposes this. The briefings from the negotiating team only harden Hamas' stance, harm the families, and distance the release of our hostages."

**This is Hamas' demand, according to the mediators**  

The negotiations for a deal with Hamas, to recall, blew up at the beginning of the month amid the storm over Hamas' agreement to a proposal that ultimately, according to a CNN report, turned out to have been changed by the Egyptian mediators without the knowledge of the other parties - Israel, Qatar, and the US. After weeks of a dead end, last week the Security Cabinet decided to expand the mandate of the negotiating team. After that decision, a summit was held in Paris over the weekend with the participation of Mossad chief David Barnea, CIA director Bill Burns, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Thani, who agreed on efforts to resume talks.

CNN reported last night from an Egyptian source that the talks will resume in Cairo next Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal had previously reported that it is unclear whether Hamas will agree to participate in the talks, and Arab mediators told the newspaper that an appeal has been made to Hamas, but the terrorist organization has not yet confirmed its participation in the new round. However, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said the day before yesterday to Al-Jazeera that "we have not been informed by the mediators of anything related to the resumption of negotiations, the talk today about a new negotiation is not serious." The Wall Street Journal quoted sources from Israel, the US, and Qatar who claimed that the talks will be based on new proposals, the details of which are still unclear.

Ronen Bergman, a writer for Yedioth Ahronoth, described in his column yesterday how senior officials in the mediating countries are now explaining why the negotiations are stuck, and why they are pessimistic about the possibility of reaching an agreement soon - an explanation that is largely agreed upon by the security establishment and the intelligence community.  

According to these officials, the framework for the deal has three stages: The first is the "humanitarian stage," 42 days of a ceasefire, during which the five captured female soldiers and all or most of the civilians will return to Israel. In the second stage, the male soldiers and the rest who did not return in the first round will be returned. The third stage is the exchange of bodies. After these are completed, Egypt, Qatar, and the UN will "manage" the reconstruction of the Strip.

The problem, for now, lies in how the second stage will be defined, even at the beginning of implementing the first stage. Hamas has learned the lesson from the collapse of the first deal, and it now demands that the three stages be parts of a single deal, which will clearly state, and under American guarantee, that the temporary ceasefire will become a fait accompli: an end to the war and the withdrawal of IDF forces from Gaza.  

Israel vehemently rejects this and has offered various wordings that defined the 42 days of the first stage as including an exit option. In Hamas, they are convinced that Netanyahu may be willing to pay a relatively high price in the humanitarian deal but is determined to go back to fighting, and to present leaving the captured soldiers behind as a way to justify continuing the war until "total victory."

And so, the situation is stuck. "In Hamas, they believe," said a senior representative of one of the mediating countries, "that if they agree to Israel's sophisticated wording, they will fall into the same trap. Because they think Israel is willing to sacrifice the male soldiers, if they release the civilians, they will be left without bargaining chips. They understood the trick, and this situation jeopardizes not only the soldiers but all the captives."

**"Letting out the rope" for the negotiating team: "Netanyahu was dragged there"**

In last week's discussion at the Security Cabinet, where it was decided to expand the mandate of the negotiating team, there was almost unanimity - and everyone felt that the "rope" should be "let out" for the team, so that it could try to achieve a breakthrough. However, according to sources involved in the details of the discussion, Netanyahu came into the room with a firm stance that the mandate should not be expanded - but when he saw that he was facing almost complete unanimity from one end to the other, he was "dragged there." The sources claimed that broadcasting the video of the capture of the female observers caused Netanyahu to soften his opposition to renewing contacts for a deal.

The sources said that the negotiating team received the toolbox it needs and was given room to maneuver - but in any case, the mandate given to the team was not expanded as the team had requested. Nitzan Alon's proposal was that they should correspond with Hamas' demands, with whom they are supposed to negotiate. Israeli officials point out that in Jerusalem "they do not want a situation of stagnation and a dead end" and that "the hourglass of the captives is running out." However, they say, "we need to be realistic. There is still no breakthrough." link

There will not be any deal without an agreement to end the war. No one wants to leave Hamas in any position of power when the war ends, but getting the hostages back is the number one priority for most of the population. As we all know, Netanyahu would rather sacrifice the lives of all the living hostages in order to keep the war going. If he had some kind of plan for what would follow, perhaps he would be able to sell it better, but he doesn't have any plan other than to do everything to stay in power and he sees that keeping the war going is his best shot. He has a moral responsibility to bring back the hostages after abandoning them on October 7 and every day since- 234 days and counting. And every day in Hamas captivity could mean their last days. Unfortunately, Netanyahu only has one thing as his priority and that is to stay Prime Minister. He has done more harm to Israel than anyone else in our 76 year history and his failure to bring the hostages home exacerbates the harm exponentially.

Gaza 

• It is footage recorded by Hamas themselves, victims and first responders at the Nova festival on 7th October. For all those who think the festival-goers were killed by IDF Apaches Viewer discretion advised. video

• The IDF and Shin Bet eliminated the head of Hamas' West Bank headquarters and another senior member; IDF Spokesperson: "The claim of harm to uninvolved individuals is under investigation": 
  An IDF spokesperson confirmed that our forces carried out a strike deep in Rafah and eliminated senior terrorists in the terror organization • A statement on his behalf said that the strike on the compound was carried out based on precise intelligence • In Gaza, they claim: Dozens of uninvolved individuals were killed and injured as a result of a fire that broke out in the tent compound, the reports are under investigation
  
  The IDF Spokesperson addressed the Palestinian reports of a wide-ranging wave of strikes in the Rafah area overnight (between Sunday and Monday). In a statement issued by the IDF Spokesperson, it was written that aircraft struck a Hamas compound in Rafah where senior terrorists from the terror organization were located. Later, the IDF confirmed that in the strike, carried out in cooperation with the Shin Bet, the terrorist Yassin Rabia, head of Hamas' West Bank headquarters, and the terrorist Khaled Najar, another senior member of the West Bank headquarters, were eliminated.  According to the Palestinians, the strike caused a fire in a displaced persons' tent compound, and as a result, they claim about 35 people were killed and dozens were injured. According to the reports, most of the casualties were not as a result of the strike itself - but rather due to the fire that broke out in the tents. An IDF spokesperson stated that the reports are known and under investigation.   
  The strike took place 3 days after the International Court of Justice in The Hague ordered Israel to stop any action in Rafah that could lead to the "complete or partial destruction of the Palestinian people." The strike was carried out in the Tel al-Sultan area in the northwest of the city, based on precise intelligence. The IDF emphasized that Hamas' West Bank headquarters (whose head was eliminated) is responsible for directing, funding and supporting the carrying out of attacks in the West Bank and inside Israel.
  
  The terrorist Yassin Rabia ran all the military branches of Hamas' West Bank headquarters, was involved in transferring funds for terror purposes and directed Hamas operatives' attacks in the West Bank. Yassin previously carried out several deadly attacks, including attacks in 2001 and 2002 in which IDF soldiers were killed. The terrorist Khaled Najar, a senior member of the West Bank headquarters, directed shooting attacks and other terror plots in the West Bank, and was involved in transferring funds intended for Hamas terror in the Gaza Strip. In the past, Najar carried out several attacks in which Israeli civilians were murdered and additional soldiers were killed and injured.
  
  It was emphasized that the operation was carried out in accordance with international law, using precise munitions and based on prior intelligence that the terrorists were using the area. Additionally, the IDF Spokesperson's statement said that the claim that as a result of the strike, and the ensuing fire at the site, a number of uninvolved individuals were harmed is known - and that the incident is under investigation.  link

• The Attack in Rafah: The IDF and Shin Bet Eliminated the Head of the West Bank Headquarters and Another Senior Hamas Official:  

The IDF confirms that in an attack in Rafah, carried out in cooperation with the Shin Bet security service, the terrorist Yassin Rabia, head of the West Bank headquarters of the Hamas terror organization, and the terrorist Khalid Najar, another senior official in the West Bank headquarters, were eliminated. The attack was carried out in the Tel al-Saltan area in northwestern Rafah and was based on precise intelligence. Hamas' West Bank headquarters is responsible for directing, funding, and supporting the carrying out of attacks in the West Bank and inside Israel. 

The terrorist Yassin Rabia ran all the military branches of Hamas' West Bank headquarters, was involved in transferring funds for terror purposes, and directed Hamas operatives' attacks in the West Bank. In the past, Yassin carried out several deadly attacks, including attacks in 2001 and 2002 in which IDF soldiers were killed. The terrorist Khalid Najar, a senior West Bank headquarters official, directed shooting attacks and other terrorist plots in the West Bank, and was involved in transferring funds intended for Hamas' terror activities in the Gaza Strip. In the past, Najar carried out several attacks in which Israeli civilians were murdered and additional soldiers were killed and injured.  link

• IDF says it demolished large Hamas tunnel in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood
  Amid a pinpoint raid that has been taking place in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, the IDF says it demolished a large Hamas tunnel. The 800-meter-long, 18-meter-deep tunnel was located close to the Netzarim Corridor, where troops are stationed in Gaza, the IDF says.  video

Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah

• Amid War: IDF Reduces Dozens of Readiness Units in the North:  

  The IDF announced a reduction of dozens of readiness units on the northern border • 53 readiness units will remain - only in communities adjacent to the fence and front line • The head of the Ein Yaakov council committee opposed the decision and warned: "Repeating the same mistake as the Gaza Envelope" • The National Rabshatzim Organization: "This is absolute abandonment" • The background for the decision - "hidden unemployment" among members of the emergency units in non-fence adjacent communities

  
  

  The number of members of the emergency units in some northern communities will be significantly reduced, according to an IDF announcement published last night (Sunday). 

  
  

  The IDF statement said that the move to reduce the units is intended "to maintain endurance, force readiness and functional continuity." It was also clarified that the reduction in the number of reserve soldiers who are members of the emergency units will only take place in some northern communities that are not adjacent to the fence, and that there will be no change in the size of the emergency units in the evacuated communities adjacent to the border in the Galilee and Golan Heights. "All members of the emergency will keep their personal equipment, in order to allow their deployment when needed immediately," the statement read. "As part of the territorial defense concept, the northern communities are protected by various defense systems alongside defense companies and the ongoing activity of IDF forces in the various areas." The IDF's decision stems from the fact that in communities that are not adjacent to the fence, there is "hidden unemployment" among members of the emergency units, and therefore their number can be reduced.

  
  

  "We Will Not Allow the Abandonment of the Safety of Galilee Residents"

  
  

  The announcement of the reduction of forces drew criticism from the regional councils in the north. The head of the Ein Yaakov moshav committee, Tzachi Elihau, appealed to the residents and warned that this is an irresponsible move that could undermine security in the area. "After diluting military forces on the northern border, they are repeating the same mistake of the Gaza Envelope and reducing the emergency units by 90%," Elihau wrote. "We saw on 7.10 that in Gaza Envelope communities that had a ready emergency unit, no massacre took place. The Galilee residents will not be Beirut 2. We are protesting this detached decision and trying to fight it on all levels. We will not allow the abandonment of the safety of Galilee residents."

  
  

  The National Rabshatzim (Community Security Officers) Organization from the National Union also responded to the announcement, criticizing the decision-makers in the IDF. "The writing is on the wall and it seems that the heads of the security system have not yet understood that the State of Israel is in a battle for its life," the organization said in a statement. "This is an insane decision that has no parallel with reality. Instead of appreciating and recognizing the Rabshatzim as employees of the Ministry of Defense, Minister Gallant adds sin upon sin and approves this failure. A million Israeli citizens in the north and south will continue to be abandoned as a result of this decision. Not a single Israeli citizen can be turned into cannon fodder. It is time for Minister Gallant to come and replace the Rabshatzim and members of the readiness units. This is absolute abandonment." link  After what happened to the Gaza Border communities on October 7, this move by the Ministry of Defense is indefensible. As stated above, the only communities to stave off the massacre and major destruction on October 7 were the communities that had stable and relatively equipped emergency units. In the time before the Massacre, the Defense Ministry neutered the Gaza Border Community emergency units by taking away their weapons, vests and most of their other equipment. Not only were they abandoned, but they were left with barely anything to defend themselves. One would think that the Defense Ministry and Minister would have learned their lesson and would be looking to expand and strengthen every single emergency unit throughout Israel with a major emphasis on every single community in proximity to the borders, not just on the border. The Hamas terrorists didn't limit themselves to attack only the communities on the border. They went inland and wanted to get to Ashkelon and even Tel Aviv. These were part of their plans for the second part of their attack. It amazes and infuriates that the war is still going on and the lessons of October 7 were not only not learned, they are being buried. Unforgiveable.
  
  
• At approximately 10 a.m. (Sanaa time) on May 26, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed one uncrewed aerial system (UAS) over the Red Sea, launched from an Iranian-backed Houthi controlled area of Yemen. It was determined the UAS presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels in the region. These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels. Link

West Bank

• IDF, Shin Bet and Border Police forces arrested six wanted individuals throughout West Bank including the Jordan Valley Region, two of them affiliated with the Hamas terrorist organization; a vehicle containing explosives was located and neutralized in an operation near Jenin

  The fighters arrested six wanted individuals throughout Judea and Samaria overnight. In Hebron, the forces arrested three wanted individuals, two of them affiliated with the Hamas terrorist organization. An additional wanted person was arrested in Beit Ummar in Gush Etzion. In Kafr Dan in the Menashe Region, the forces located and confiscated a Carlo rifle and neutralized a vehicle in which explosives were found. In Aqbat Jaber in the Jordan Valley, the forces arrested two wanted individuals involved in manufacturing and throwing explosives. The arrested wanted individuals and confiscated combat equipment were transferred for further handling by the security forces. There were no casualties among our forces. As of now, around 4,000 wanted individuals have been arrested since the start of the war throughout the West Bank, around 1,700 of them affiliated with the Hamas terrorist organization.    link

Politics and the Region

• **This Is Not How to Conduct a War: The Government's Intentional Policy of Concealment | Stav Shaffir**(Stav Shaffir is a social activist, former MK and chair of the Transparency Committee)

Since October, the army and the Israeli government have been waging two different wars

If we are required to fight not for the return of the hostages and restoring calm to the borders, but for the vision of a Greater Land of Israel and imposing military rule contrary to the position of the security establishment, the government should ensure that there is a public majority for this • This is done in the conventional way in a democracy: elections

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant recently officially endorsed statements that since the start of the war had only been termed a "personal opinion" of some cabinet members: The plan the government is pursuing is the vision of Smotrich and Ben-Gvir - military control over the Gaza Strip and establishing settlements.

The truth is, there was no need to wait until now to understand this: In January, amidst the war and with soldiers deployed inside the Strip, the right-wing leadership gathered to dance and celebrate at a conference promoting Jewish settlement in Gaza. On Independence Day, some government ministers led a follow-up conference on the same topic. Some of them also fantasize about settlements in southern Lebanon. True, Netanyahu stated at the outset of the war that Israel would not rule Gaza, and committed to this before the Americans - but as Gallant confirmed, the actual policy of the Israeli government is pursuing military rule.  

Many of us are still required these days to serve in the reserves, under the original promises of the war: defeating Hamas and returning the hostages. But eight months into the event, it is clear from its unimpressive results that these are not its real goals. The hostages can only be returned alive through a deal - which the prime minister and cabinet oppose; defeating Hamas terrorism can be ensured by replacing it with a moderate Palestinian governing body - which Netanyahu also refuses. It can be deduced that the goal of the war in the government's view is different from what is reported to the public: IDF control over the Gaza Strip and establishing new settlements - something Smotrich and Orit Struck are already vigorously working on.

Most of the public, if they understand these goals, will rightly say this is not what we signed up for. If we are required to fight not for returning the hostages and restoring calm to the borders, but for the vision of a Greater Land of Israel, the government should ensure there is a majority for this. This is done in the conventional way in a democracy: elections. For a change, these will not be elections about "Bibi yes or no" - a repulsive topic for all views - but about Israel's security vision: settlements in Gaza and military rule over the millions of Palestinians living there; or withdrawal from Gaza while replacing the Hamas regime with a Palestinian body opposed to terrorism, and forging a regional alliance with moderate Arab states while advancing a two-state solution. These are two different plans, and the public, the evacuees from the Gaza periphery and the north, the reservists and their families who are asked to sacrifice for this vision - we all deserve to choose between them. If Smotrich and Netanyahu's plan has a majority - very well. I don't believe this will be the case.

This strategic decision will shape our lives for decades to come. Securing the West Bank settlements drains immense IDF forces. Securing new Israeli communities inside Gaza, with Hamas or other terror groups still hiding there, and without a Palestinian authority assisting in counterterrorism as in the West Bank - will require even more. Add to that securing the Lebanese border - it's doubtful there are enough forces for all this. Certainly when the same politicians interested in military rule in Gaza and the West Bank are also the biggest supporters of continuing the ultra-Orthodox exemption from service. The implication of such a vision would be extending compulsory service to at least four years, complete depletion of reservists, and even after all that there still won't be sufficient forces to provide real protection, with the price paid in blood.  

The economic cost is also immense: the security establishment recently estimated the implications of establishing rule at around NIS 20 billion per year, not including the cost of rehabilitating the Strip. The American aid, which in peacetime stands at about $4 billion a year and this year grew several times over - would decrease or disappear if Israel chooses the vision of a Greater Land of Israel over cooperation with them.

This insane vision will lead us to diplomatic isolation. On the democratic front - some three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, and nearly two and a half million in Gaza. The price of annexing them to Israel is one of two: either a democracy where there will sooner or later be an Arab majority, or abolishing Israeli democracy.  

But facts and security considerations don't change anything for Smotrich and Ben-Gvir. They're already celebrating their rise to prominence. Netanyahu is cooperating. Just this week, the Ministerial Committee approved a bill proposal expanding the Law for the Development of the Negev and Galilee to also apply to southern Hebron Hills and Kiryat Arba - effectively promoting de facto annexation of the settlements. The funding, of course, will come at the expense of rehabilitating the Gaza periphery and the north.

Since October, the army and the Israeli government have been waging two different wars: the IDF is making tremendous efforts to restore security to our borders, defeat Hamas and return the hostages. The government is fighting to nullify the disengagement and prevent a political settlement. This split cannot continue much longer. The public is starting to understand, in shock, that the government does not intend to return the hostages alive, and also sees Hamas returning to areas the IDF withdrew from, in the absence of an alternative political plan. Field commanders are accumulating frustration that the government is not making decisions, missing opportunities for military achievements and also restricting the scope of action. Therefore, soon - Israel must hold elections to make a decision. If Smotrich and Ben-Gvir are convinced the people are with them, let them put it to the test. 

Let's see if there really is a majority for the messianic fantasy of the extremists, or if most Israelis prefer reaching a political settlement. Let's see if Israeli citizens want to send their children to secure outposts in the Strip as well. The time for decision has come.  link  More and more people are espousing the same thoughts, ideas and direction that my brother and I have been saying since the beginning of the war. These are not aberrations but the feeling of more of the population as the war goes on without meaning, direction, strategy for the war, the country and the hostages. As Stav Shafir wrote, there is a great and overpowering need for the people to make their voices heard on the way they want Israel to go, and to do that, we must have elections.

• A delegation led by Director General of the Defense Ministry Eyal Zamir will travel to Washington, DC, this week to discuss “the strengthening of defense-strategic cooperation [with the United States], with an emphasis on the procurement processes, to preserve Israel’s qualitative edge in the region,” the ministry says.

• The ministry says Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered the visit. Zamir will meet with officials at the US Department of Defense and Department of State, according to the ministry. He will be joined by the head of the ministry’s Political-Military Bureau, Dror Shalom, the head of the ministry’s Directorate of Defense R&D, Danny Gold, Israel’s defense attaché to the US, Maj. Gen. Hidai Zilberman, and the ministry’s representative in Washington, Omer Haim, among other officials.  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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